A.3.3 Folktales from India: An Annotated Bibliography by Saba Vahidy
My family’s cultural heritage comes from the country of Pakistan. However, our ancestry can be traced back to the country of India. This fact propelled me to delve further into the culture of the region and read traditional folktales that depict life in this part of the world.
India is home to a diverse array of religions, languages, and ancient civilizations. Religion plays an important role in the daily traditions of its followers--whether it be Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, or Sikhism. The different people from different parts of India share many common features in their cultures which are often times simplified and represented as a homogeneous culture in literature.
Researching the traditional literature from India deepened my connections to not only the place where my family originated from, but also helped me to appreciate the morals and values that the world’s second-most populous nation holds dear.
One Grain of Rice Book Jacket
Demi. One Grain of Rice. 1997. 40p. Scholastic. $21.99 (978-0590939980)
Long ago in India, there lived a Raja (prince) who believed that he was wise and fair. But every year he kept nearly all of the people’s rice for himself. Then when famine came, the Raja refused to share the rice, and the people went hungry. Then a village girl named Rani (which means 'princess' in Hindi) devises a clever plan. She does a good deed for the Raja, and in return, the Raja lets her choose her reward. Rani asks for just one grain of rice, doubled every day for thirty days. Through the surprising power of doubling, one grain of rice grows into more than one billion grains of rice — and Rani teaches the Raja a lesson about what it truly means to be wise and fair.
This traditional Indian tale elegantly retold and illustrated by Demi is inspired by Indian miniature paintings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Demi’s exotic portraits feature shiny gold backdrops. Each page of artwork is bordered in bold colors, visually dominating the sparse text. Demi’s time spent living in India as a Fulbright scholar no doubt adds to the cultural authenticity of this rendering.
Grandma and the Great Gourd Book Jacket
Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee. Grandma and the Great Gourd. Illus. by Susy Pilgrim Waters.2013. 32p. Roaring Book Press. $17.99 (978-1596433786)
Once upon a time, in a little village in India, there lived an old woman whom everyone called Grandma. Grandma and her daughter are separated by a jungle. One day, Grandma receives a letter from her daughter saying she misses her mother and could she come for a visit. Grandma decides to go even though walking through the jungle scares her. Along the way, she encounters three very hungry animals: a sly fox, an intimidating black bear, and a sleek striped tiger.
This is a wonderfully colorful retelling of an old Bengali folktale from the region of Bengal in northeastern India. Perhaps it is so beloved by Divakaruni because her grandfather first introduced her to a version of it when she was young. Divakaruni uses repetition, onomatopoeia, and Bengali sounds to describe the animals in this trickster tale. The rich, vibrant collage illustrations evoke the deep earth tones found in rural Indian life.
The Wise Fool: Fables from the Islamic World Book Jacket
Husain, Shahrukh. The Wise Fool: Fables from the Islamic World. Illus. by Micha Archer. 2011. 63p. Barefoot Books. $19.99 (978-1846862267)
In this collection of twenty-two fables, readers are introduced to the familiar folk tale character known as the “wise fool” of the Muslim world. Many countries share Mulla Nasruddin stories, including India and Pakistan, where the author heard these stories growing up as a child. The titular character is depicted as equal parts funny, wise, silly, and grumpy.
Portrayed as a merry little figure with a turban and short jacket and a much-loved donkey, Mulla Nasruddin is a character who develops and changes. The stories in this book tell of his funny antics and his amusing ways but at the same time we learn that he is unusually wise. We see him in good and bad moods, at work and at leisure. Over the years, his tales have traveled beyond the Middle East and essentially show him as a lovable, shrewd, and jovial character.
Based on Indian and Persian architecture, pottery, fabric, and landscapes, the artwork in the collection use patterns, shapes, and colors the illustrator knew from her childhood years in India. The author’s introduction, extensive glossary, pronunciation guide, and source list add to the authenticity of these fables.
The Gifts of Wali Dad: a tale of India and Pakistan Book Jacket
Shepard, Aaron. The Gifts of Wali Dad: a tale of India and Pakistan. Illus. by Daniel San Souci. 1995. 32p. Athenum. $16.00 (0684194457)
This is a retelling of “Story of Wali Dad the Simple-hearted” found in Andrew Lang’s Brown Fairy Book (1904). The Islamic influences of this story suggest that the northwest region of India was the likely origin of where the story was first told to a British army officer by an Indian during the colonial era.
In this fairy tale, a simple impoverished grass cutter lives in a hut but feels he doesn’t need more than he has. He lives off of two thirds of his meager earning, and saves one third of his coins in a clay pot. One day when he sees the clay pot filled to the brim, he isn’t sure what to do with the money. At last, he buys a gold bracelet and sends it as a gift to the Queen of Khaistan. The queen reciprocates the generous gesture with one of her own. However Wali Dad has no use for the extravagances and the gift-giving continues until the arrival of two fairies set things right.
The author condenses the original tale and the picture book format adds expressive, comic pictures to make the story appealing to children. The scenes depicting action in storyboard fashion brings this Indian folktale to modern audiences. The author has been fascinated with India ever since his brief time living there.
The Elephant's Friend and other tales from Ancient India Book Jacket
Williams, Marcia. The Elephant's Friend and other Tales from Ancient India. 2012. 40p. Candlewick Press. $16.99 (978-0763659165)
In this volume, eight age-old tales from India are brought to life with humorous dialogue and comic-style illustrations. The stories are borrowed and retold from three books of ancient Indian folktales. The Hitopadesha, the Panchatrana, and the Jakatas are a few of these major works of Indian fable literature.
Williams adapts eight animal stories taken from venerable old Sankskrit texts and retells them in graphic novel format. The narrative captions, speech balloons, and humorous drawings deliver light hearted lessons.The universal themes of friendship, sharing, and caring will be appreciated by children and adults alike. The passions, disappointments, triumphs, and foibles of the exotic Indian creatures are conveyed in the book’s jewel toned pages.
At best, this graphic storybook collection serves to give readers a quick glance at India’s cultural values through folkloric characters. There is a critical lack of source notes or material cited on the author’s part.
Works Cited
cyberJu. "mf_taj.jpg" MorgeFile. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 March 2014. http://mrg.bz/6UstCz
Works Consulted
Connor, Carol. "Grandma And The Great Gourd: A Bengali Folktale (Book Review)." School Library Journal 59.1 (2013): 91-92. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
Long, Rudge. "The Elephant's Friend And Other Tales From Ancient India (Book Review)." Horn Book Magazine 88.6 (2012): 115. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
Rochman, Hazel. "The Wise Fool: Fables From The Islamic World (Book Review)." Booklist 108.6 (2011): 51. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
Copyright-free photo from the Morguefile.com
A.3.3 Folktales from India: An Annotated Bibliography by Saba Vahidy
My family’s cultural heritage comes from the country of Pakistan. However, our ancestry can be traced back to the country of India. This fact propelled me to delve further into the culture of the region and read traditional folktales that depict life in this part of the world.
India is home to a diverse array of religions, languages, and ancient civilizations. Religion plays an important role in the daily traditions of its followers--whether it be Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, or Sikhism. The different people from different parts of India share many common features in their cultures which are often times simplified and represented as a homogeneous culture in literature.
Researching the traditional literature from India deepened my connections to not only the place where my family originated from, but also helped me to appreciate the morals and values that the world’s second-most populous nation holds dear.
Long ago in India, there lived a Raja (prince) who believed that he was wise and fair. But every year he kept nearly all of the people’s rice for himself. Then when famine came, the Raja refused to share the rice, and the people went hungry. Then a village girl named Rani (which means 'princess' in Hindi) devises a clever plan. She does a good deed for the Raja, and in return, the Raja lets her choose her reward. Rani asks for just one grain of rice, doubled every day for thirty days. Through the surprising power of doubling, one grain of rice grows into more than one billion grains of rice — and Rani teaches the Raja a lesson about what it truly means to be wise and fair.
This traditional Indian tale elegantly retold and illustrated by Demi is inspired by Indian miniature paintings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Demi’s exotic portraits feature shiny gold backdrops. Each page of artwork is bordered in bold colors, visually dominating the sparse text. Demi’s time spent living in India as a Fulbright scholar no doubt adds to the cultural authenticity of this rendering.
Once upon a time, in a little village in India, there lived an old woman whom everyone called Grandma. Grandma and her daughter are separated by a jungle. One day, Grandma receives a letter from her daughter saying she misses her mother and could she come for a visit. Grandma decides to go even though walking through the jungle scares her. Along the way, she encounters three very hungry animals: a sly fox, an intimidating black bear, and a sleek striped tiger.
This is a wonderfully colorful retelling of an old Bengali folktale from the region of Bengal in northeastern India. Perhaps it is so beloved by Divakaruni because her grandfather first introduced her to a version of it when she was young. Divakaruni uses repetition, onomatopoeia, and Bengali sounds to describe the animals in this trickster tale. The rich, vibrant collage illustrations evoke the deep earth tones found in rural Indian life.
In this collection of twenty-two fables, readers are introduced to the familiar folk tale character known as the “wise fool” of the Muslim world. Many countries share Mulla Nasruddin stories, including India and Pakistan, where the author heard these stories growing up as a child. The titular character is depicted as equal parts funny, wise, silly, and grumpy.
Portrayed as a merry little figure with a turban and short jacket and a much-loved donkey, Mulla Nasruddin is a character who develops and changes. The stories in this book tell of his funny antics and his amusing ways but at the same time we learn that he is unusually wise. We see him in good and bad moods, at work and at leisure. Over the years, his tales have traveled beyond the Middle East and essentially show him as a lovable, shrewd, and jovial character.
Based on Indian and Persian architecture, pottery, fabric, and landscapes, the artwork in the collection use patterns, shapes, and colors the illustrator knew from her childhood years in India. The author’s introduction, extensive glossary, pronunciation guide, and source list add to the authenticity of these fables.
This is a retelling of “Story of Wali Dad the Simple-hearted” found in Andrew Lang’s Brown Fairy Book (1904). The Islamic influences of this story suggest that the northwest region of India was the likely origin of where the story was first told to a British army officer by an Indian during the colonial era.
In this fairy tale, a simple impoverished grass cutter lives in a hut but feels he doesn’t need more than he has. He lives off of two thirds of his meager earning, and saves one third of his coins in a clay pot. One day when he sees the clay pot filled to the brim, he isn’t sure what to do with the money. At last, he buys a gold bracelet and sends it as a gift to the Queen of Khaistan. The queen reciprocates the generous gesture with one of her own. However Wali Dad has no use for the extravagances and the gift-giving continues until the arrival of two fairies set things right.
The author condenses the original tale and the picture book format adds expressive, comic pictures to make the story appealing to children. The scenes depicting action in storyboard fashion brings this Indian folktale to modern audiences. The author has been fascinated with India ever since his brief time living there.
In this volume, eight age-old tales from India are brought to life with humorous dialogue and comic-style illustrations. The stories are borrowed and retold from three books of ancient Indian folktales. The Hitopadesha, the Panchatrana, and the Jakatas are a few of these major works of Indian fable literature.
Williams adapts eight animal stories taken from venerable old Sankskrit texts and retells them in graphic novel format. The narrative captions, speech balloons, and humorous drawings deliver light hearted lessons.The universal themes of friendship, sharing, and caring will be appreciated by children and adults alike. The passions, disappointments, triumphs, and foibles of the exotic Indian creatures are conveyed in the book’s jewel toned pages.
At best, this graphic storybook collection serves to give readers a quick glance at India’s cultural values through folkloric characters. There is a critical lack of source notes or material cited on the author’s part.
cyberJu. "mf_taj.jpg" MorgeFile. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 March 2014. http://mrg.bz/6UstCz
Works Consulted
Connor, Carol. "Grandma And The Great Gourd: A Bengali Folktale (Book Review)." School Library Journal 59.1 (2013): 91-92. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
Devereaux, Elizabeth, and Diane Roback. "Forecasts: Children's Books (Book Review)." Publishers Weekly 244.4 (1997): 106. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
Long, Rudge. "The Elephant's Friend And Other Tales From Ancient India (Book Review)." Horn Book Magazine 88.6 (2012): 115. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
Rochman, Hazel. "The Wise Fool: Fables From The Islamic World (Book Review)." Booklist 108.6 (2011): 51. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
Taniguchi, Marilyn. "Preschool & Primary Grades: Nonfiction (Book Review)." School Library Journal 41.8 (1995): 138. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.